Gate-supporting means



Feb. 8,'1927. 1,616,558

J. M. THOMPSON GATE lSUPPORTING MEANS Filed Marchv20, 1926 Fig j.

Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

f messe JOHN IVI. TI-IOMSON, OF THOPJPE, IOWA.

GATE-SUPPORTING MEANS,

Application led March 20, 1926. Serial No. 96,365.

My invention relates to improvements in gate supporting means, and the object of my improvement is to support a swinging gate for vertical adjustable elevation asv desired, with means for retaining it releasably in any adjusted position. l e

kIt is to be understood that thisinvention may be utilized for any descriptions of swinging gates, doors or closures for which it may by modications be applicable, 'and that changes in the proportions, dimensions, arrangements and minor details thereof are nevertheless covered by the claims herein.

,I haveaccomplished the above object by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a swinging gate supported for adjustable vertical elevations to my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the rear post and vertical movable standard, partly in rear elevation and partly in central vertical transverse section, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail View, showing parts of the device in horizontal section and other parts in top plan. 4

The numeral 1 denotes abase-beam to be mounted iixedly upon or embedded in a supporting surface, whether of the soil or otherwise and across an opening, as in a fence or building.

Base-plates 2 spaced apart and located near the ends of said beam are fixed thereto upon its upper surface by any suitable fastening devices. Instead of the beam 1, any other desired fixed support may be supplied instead, as concrete blocks or the like.

The numerals 3 and 29 denote respectively the rear and front gate-posts which are integral with or lixedly mounted on the baseplates 2 near the ends of the beam 1. vThe rear. post 3 is tubular and a coiled compression spring 4L is mounted in the lower part of its hollow to rest terminally upon the plate 2. A cylindrical standard 5 is slidably and loosely fitted within the post 3 and has its lower end supported upon the upper end of said spring 4. The standard 5 projects above the upper end of said post 3, and is bent reversely downwardly parallel to the vertical post 3 to supply a depending part 7 and the parts 5 and 7 are tightly clamped together near said bend by a split clamping body 8 and bolt to thus stiften and support the parts 7 parallel to the part 5 and the post 3. A spl't clamping device 9 with according through bolt 10 is tightly clamped upon the lower end of said part 7 and is loosely connected with the post 3. The upper .end 0f the post 3'is at 11 widenedto support a split clamping body 12 as shown in' Fig;l 3 loosely mounted upon an inner sleeve 13 around and loose on the standard 5 but secured by threads llhto the top of said vpost 3, with its annular head resting on the body 12, rElie body 12 is loose upon the standard part 7 also. Lilie split clamping devices 22 and 23 are by like bolts 21 clamped tightly upon the standard part 7, spaced vertically, and upon the rear stile v24: of a gate 25 mounted to span the intervalof the posts 3 and 29, The standard 5 may rock in the post 3 cariying with it and its part l7 the gate 25 to be swung open or closed.

r1`he gate may be of any desired construction, whether'rigid or flexible. As' shown it has an endless tubular framewith rear and front stiles 241 and 28. Any desired catch may be used to releasably fasten the front stile 2S to the front post 29, and I have shown a spring arm 30 secured on this post to project upwardly and carries a troughed head 31 to partially embrace the stile -28 i when the part 30 is untensioned.

The parts of the gate frame maybe connected by wires crossed or connected together as at 26, or otherwise.

rEhe forward end of the gate is 'braced by a lrod 27 connected to the forward pai-t of the. gatel frame and to the standard iai-t 7 above the clamping body 8. v

l have furnished means for releasably securing said gate in any desired position of vertical adjustment within limits, upon said post 3. This means comprises a headed bolt 15 traversing alined apertures in the clamping-body 12 betweenl the standard parts 5 and 7 transversely with its threaded end are shaped with like opposite cams 18 and intermediate cani parts of less radius. A short coiled compression spring 16 is mounted on the stein of said bolt 15 in contact with the. n

body 12, and a washer 17 is alsomounted on said stem between and in contact with said spring and with the cam edges of the furnations 18.

By turning the lever 2O around the threaded stemof said bolt 15, more or less compression may be applied to the spring 16 as maybe necessary.

lVhen the lever 20 islifted as shown in Fig. 3 to a horizontal position, with the vcam edges or' less radius bearing upon theA washer 17, the spring 16 is so relaxed that the clamping device 9 .may slide upwardly upon the Vpost 3 by the reaction of the previously compressed spring a to any desired elevation or until stopped by the contact of i i clamp the split end parts ot the body 12 upi the upper clamping device 22 with the clamping body 12, the standard part moving upwardly in the hollow of the post 3Q `When the gate is in the desired position of on the standard member 7, so that the latter together with the gate are held at the desired elevation. it this elevation the gate may swing over obstacles such as snow drifts below, or afford clearance so that small animals may pass beneath it while larger animals are barred.

AThe cams may be turned to release the standard part 7 in the clamping device or body' 12, and the operator then by root pressure upon the lower longitudinal member of the gate. frame push down the gate to lower it to an adjusted or to its lowermost position, and then swing the lever downwardly as shown'in Fig. 2, to reeclamp the part 7 to the body 12. The spring 16 when the lever 20l is swungupwardly, helps to carry the weight of the lever in reacting.

It'will be seen, that inany position of adjustment relative to the post 3, the gate may berswung freely to and tro, and without interference with the lever and its cams -18, and as the cams are at or a little past the dead center when the lever is down, thel gate is locked in its vertically adjusted position upon said part 7.

Having describedmy invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: j f 1.l In combination, a iized support, a tensionally controlled member movabley vertically relatively to and also swinginffly movable upon said support, a gate secured upon said member, and tensionally controlled l means for releasably holding said member in a vertically adjusted position upon said support while permitting the member and the gate to swing horizontally freely relative tothe support. v

2. In combination, a fixed support, a ten- ,sionally controlled member movable vertically relatively to and also swingingly mounted upon said support, a gate secured upon said member to swing therewith horizontally, and means for releasably holding said member and gate in a vertically adjusted position upon said support Vwhile permit-V ting themeinber and gate to swing freely, said means including a tensionally controlled cam device operative to releasably adjustably secure said member to the sup-V port at or past the dead center of the cam and means for adjusting the cam of said device toward and from said member.

In combination, an Aopen top tubular post, a coiled compression spring within said post, a standard mounted slidably and rotatably within the hollow of said post and supported upon said spring, the upper part of said standard projecting upwardly trom the post and bentreversely to have a depending part adjacent the post, clamping bodies rotatably non-slidably connected to the post and slidingly connected -to the pendent `part of said standard, a gate mounted upon tliesaid pendent part of said standard, a threaded stein bolt traversing alined apertures in said clamping bodies, and a cam device roclringly mounted upon said threaded stein ladapted to. compress tne bodies in one position of the cam thereagainst upon said pendent part to hold the samevand the gate in a vertically adjusted position relative to said post. f

1l; In combination, an open top tubular post, a coiled compression spi-ing within theV hollow of the post `and having its lower end stopped, a standard mountedy slidably and rotatably within the hollow of the post and supported yieldingly upon said springthe upper part of said standard projecting upwardly beyond the top of the post and being bent downwardly reversely, clamping bodies rotatably non-slidably mounted upon the post and slidingly loosely connected to the pendent part or said standard, va gate mounted rigidly upon said pendent' part, a bolt traversing alined apertures in said clamping bodies, a cam mounted for rocking adjustment on said bolt, having like opposite cam edges ot' greater radius than the intermediate edge ot the cam, a coiled compression spring mounted on said bolt between said cam and said clamping bodies, and said cam being roclrable relative to said spring and clamping bodies to either compress the spring to clamp the said bodies upon said pendent part tightly and hold l the same. tired when tlie cam is at or past a JOHN M. THOMPSON. 

